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England cricketer Chris Lewis gets 13 years for drug smuggling
Paul Cheston20 May 2009
Former England cricketer Chris Lewis was jailed for 13 years today for trying to smuggle cocaine worth more than £140,000 through Gatwick Airport.
The 41-year-old was condemned by the judge as a coward motivated by greed. Lewis had hidden the drug in liquid form in tins of pineapple and grapefruit juice stashed in his kit bag.
But they were found when he was stopped by customs officers at 5am on his return from what he claimed had been an innocent holiday in St Lucia.
In court he said he thought the tins only contained fruit juice and he had packed them as a favour to his co-defendant Chad Kirnon, who had exceeded his baggage allowance. But his case was undermined when it was revealed he had told customs officers he had been travelling alone, even though his luggage was tagged with Kirnon's name and address.
Friends and family cried out in shock as Lewis, of Brent, was found guilty at Croydon crown court.
Professional basketball player Kirnon, 27, of Islington, was also found guilty of smuggling the 3.37kg of 100 per cent pure cocaine in December last year.
Judge Nicholas Ainley told Lewis: “You made it to the top of your profession.” But he added: “This was greed. You deduced that the risk was worth it. You were knowingly and willingly engaged in major organised crime.”
The judge told both defendants: “This court frequently has to deal with drug smugglers. The majority have the courage to face up to what they did and take the punishment. You showed neither of these qualities. In a cowardly attempt to evade justice, you each sought to blame the other.”
When intercepted Lewis said he had been visiting friends and family. Five tins of juice inside his cricket bag were found to contain a brown liquid.
Customs officers also found traces of cannabis residue in his luggage. Kirnon was stopped 10 minutes later and three tins of fruit juice containing the same liquid were seized. Kirnon said he had no idea the tins contained drugs.
The long prison sentence is a shocking fall for a sportsman once hailed as “the new Ian Botham”. But Lewis's performance on the field failed to live up to the comparison. Famously, he marked his first tour of the West Indies by shaving his head and failing to wear a sun hat — causing him to suffer heat stroke and miss a match.
He played 32 Tests and 53 one-day internationals, but his final Test haul of 93 wickets and a batting average of 23 showed a waste of talent.
Reader views (22)
very sad
- Gm, London, 21/05/2009 01:59
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Thirteen years is too LIGHT a sentence, Carole From London. He wasn't carrying out a victimless crime - he was participating in organized crime, which is involved in everything from trafficking to murder for hire, intimidation and theft on a grand scale.
The man, like others of his kind, deserved that and more. Making him out to be a victim, even of sorts, isn't compassion but a part of the problem itself.
- Rogan, Irving, 21/05/2009 01:16
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shouldn't be too suprised, this man needs to be locked up for his own safety! First he nearly kills himself by shaving his head and standing in the sun all day and now he is trying to peddle drugs throughtout the community.
- William Bailey, wgtn, 21/05/2009 00:45
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Very sad, but the sentence is just, famous or not. good job he did not try smuggling in singapore, it would have been a death sentence, but then they dont have a drug problem
- Dave, bradford england, 20/05/2009 23:31
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The size of the UK cocaine market is estimated to be £500m. If all the trafficers were caught and jailed on equivalent sentences that would equate to 50,000 prison years. Seems slightly harsh to me. At £40K/year to keep him inside seems like a waste of money as well.
- Andy Davids, London, 20/05/2009 21:19
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LETS GET SOMETHING STRAIGHT, COCAIN KILLS & RUINS LIVES & FAMILIES. ITS NOT LIKE HE NEEDED TO DO IT TO FEED HIS KIDS. JUST GREEDY. DO THE TIME I SAY. WHAT AN IDIOT AND WASTE OF TALENT
- Bonnie, oxford, 20/05/2009 18:46
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Another example of celebrities as well as politicians thinking they are above the law. What a fantastic role model he must have been to younge adults, only in the end to show that no matter how much talent you have or money, IT IS JUST NEVER ENOUGH ! GREED seems to be the key motivator in this day and age. WHAT A WASTE OF TALENT AND OPPORTUNITY TO DO GOOD. Lets get the sentencing right for other crimes commited in our country.
- Bev, birmingham, 20/05/2009 18:40
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I would never condone what Chris and his friend did, it was very stupid, and he deserves to be punished. But I think 13 years is way too much. As other bloggers have already commented, he has not actually killed anyone or even harmed anyone, but himself, and more so his family. There should be a better sentencing system whereby the punishment at least in some way befits the crime.
- Carole From London, mitcham and tooting, 20/05/2009 17:57
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He was given a bigger sentene because he is somebody who as a kid i looked up to him, and gave me belief that i could be as good as him, and kept me on a good path. I'm just shocked that he was so stupid to be hood winked into this. His challenge has just begun, and he will need all the strengh he has to get him through this. Good luck.
- Darren, london uk, 20/05/2009 17:54
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What is up with the justice system in this country? MPs can embezzle and get away with it. You can kill someone in a hit and run and get sentenced to months in prison. Fiddle with a kid and get probation. Teenagers can punch and kick and innocent man to death and spend a couple of years in prison but someone who attempted to smuggle drugs gets 13 years. I'm not condoning what he did but think that sentence is just a little too extreme.
- Lorraine, London, 20/05/2009 17:25
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Sentence is par for the course for drug importation, which our honest, upright, law abiding lords and masters in Government view as far more serious than almost any other offence. Think of the impact on their tax revenues if all drugs were legal... Slashed someones face in a pub brawl? 5 years. Bad case of causing death by reckless driving? 8 years. Low level Class A narcotic mule? 10 years plus
- Max, London uk, 20/05/2009 17:16
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The severity of the sentence is not just a reflection of the actual crime it also takes into account the knock on effect on other peoples lives. How many young people have been murdered, in London alone, over the last 2 years after becoming involved in gang feuds over drug dealing?. How many innocent people have been injured, robbed or had their property burgled by people who have an addiction and need to commit crime to pay for their next fix?. How many drug addicts have died from overdosing or using 'bad' drugs?. These are the true costs in human terms and is the reason why drug traffikers need to be dealt with severely.
- Pete, South London, 20/05/2009 17:09
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"If it happened here it would be a 60 quid fine and open prision for a week
- Peter Mills, 3rd world Brtain"
Eh? it did happen "here" (by here I assume you mean £rd world Britain). They were caught at Gatwick and the trial was at Croydon Crown Court
- Escobar-Alop-Lop, Camden County, 20/05/2009 17:02
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"If it happened here it would be a 60 quid fine and open prision for a week"
It did happen here - sentence was passed at Croydon Crown Court.
- Michael, London, 20/05/2009 16:53
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Bit harsh?..he should have chosen to try a bit of fraud,less of a sentence..as usual the powers that be are screwing the regular guy,i wish him well,
- Jonnie Of Brixton, brixton,london,england, 20/05/2009 15:58
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If it happened here it would be a 60 quid fine and open prision for a week
- Peter Mills, 3rd world Brtain, 20/05/2009 15:42
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And yet you can kill someone and get 3 years.
- Steve, London, 20/05/2009 15:09
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I hope he did it, because serving 13 years for something you didn't do will push an innocent man suicidal
- Frank Of East London, London, 20/05/2009 15:06
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No doubt he will be out after 3 or so years.
- Mike, London England, 20/05/2009 14:50
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Thirteen years seems a lot. Did he kill someone on the way over? or does this yet again serve to show up the woeful manslaughter sentences given to those who kill by dangerous driving or for fun when they are drunk
- Steve King, Brentford Middx, 20/05/2009 14:50
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Rememeber Kids - Cricket doesn't pay!
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, 20/05/2009 14:43
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What a moron, talented and having the privilege of playing for England.
- Goggs, London, 20/05/2009 14:34
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